This week Thanksgiving was celebrated in the United States
and families are gathering around tables and other meeting
spots and sharing meals and conversations with one another.
Some of these conversations might be easy and light While
others may get more heated, more closely resembling debates.
But what if instead of other people you were given the
opportunity to have a conversation with a tree?
What might you say? Is there something in particular
that you would want to hear or know these are the questions
that we set out to explore when tree speech was invited to bring
this podcast to Life by creating an installation gallery?
Experience. In this episode, we will focus
on the creation of our first-ever exhibition, titled, a
conversation in a clearing. Hi, I'm Dora Robinson and this
is tree speech. A podcast where we strive to
hear the forest through the trees.
We were offered the opportunity to create this Gallery
experience for the storage closet, Gallery, Lowell,
Massachusetts, outside of Boston, not knowing exactly how
to approach this task. This new, Citing challenge
producer Jonathan's out. Nur, and I set out to figure out
how this could possibly be done and we began a long process of
brainstorming and planning, here is a conversation between
Jonathan and I as we discussed the beginning stages of this
project are process of putting it together and the goals we
shared for the finish product. Let's listen Hi Jonathan so
exciting man. Behind the curtain?
Well this will be a treat. Yeah, let's start at the
beginning. Hey, yeah, well, do you remember
when I first came to you with the idea basically you and I
Jonathan we do so much immersive work you know we did immersive
work with a light theater Guild on the elm tree.
And so I came to you and I said there's a very small space but
it's special to you. I remember there was a little
trepidation but I remember when you told me that I thought the
challenge would be something really great to work on because
we're audio a podcast and so I love the immersive work that
we've done and I thought oh if we could somehow maybe bring the
podcast to life in some way to create an experience that's that
takes the audio and goes beyond. That could be a really exciting
and rewarding project. Do you remember what our
original thought was? I think we both did our own sort
of research where we sat with the idea.
We spent a lot of time Outdoors of course it was summer at that
point so we're thinking about college and then somehow we came
across a few resources that I think really spoke to us and
really spoke to what we were trying to do.
I knew that it It'd be a busy time that it would be in this
space where there would be a lot of hustle and bustle.
People shopping people may be stressed because this season
sort of adds stress to our lives.
It's a beautiful season, but it's also, there's a lot of
extra work and activities and things that have to be prepared
and done, and, you know Austin. Yeah.
Exactly. So personally, I wanted to
create a space where people could maybe leave that hustle
and bustle and just have a few moments.
Maybe in a sort of meditative area, to just sit and breathe
and to ground themselves and to realize, it's all okay, it'll
all get done. It's all right.
Like it really enjoy this moment.
So we had this idea of creating sort of a sanctuary, a peaceful
place for people where we could also create a midi podcast
episode, that people could respond to, or have time with
from there, some books fell into our our laps It Is wintering by
Catherine May which really spoke to both of us.
I think in different ways. Do you want to talk about that
possible? Yeah.
Absolutely. Because I think I know for me,
I'm aware of the fact that not everyone can just go to the
woods for a multitude of reasons.
It's really interesting to go from wanting to give people a
taste of the woods and a taste of sanctuary.
And what does that look like? I mean, we went through so many
ideas and so many Details within each idea.
I think wintering really did help us find the core, I'm
pretty sure you found it. But the idea that life has
cycles and part of that is winter and the concept of winter
as sort of a verb meaning that it is normal and natural for
things to be still and then find rebirth and that all parts of
the process are so beautiful. And so important, and part of
the beauty of the book is that she talks.
Talks about how everyone nowadays in a world where we
have electricity and we have the internet, we have all these
things, we want an internal summer.
We feel like we should always be happy, always be productive.
But there are times in life where we are wintering.
And the idea that there's Beauty in that and rather than pushing
against and saying, why am I moving slower or I shouldn't
allow myself to be sad that I think have making space for all
of these seasons? And the beauty that is winter in
of itself, not just, we're going dormant so that spring can come
exactly. And it's really being in touch
and in tune, with the, the cycles of nature wherever we
are. We both read about how when the
leaves fall away from trees and Autumn that, they actually
expose the buds that are on the tree as the tree is preparing.
Through winter and works through winter internally, so that
they're ready to bloom in the spring, but that work keeps
going. We just don't see any just
Sophia, there's something so beautiful about that and I think
we've learned a lot of lessons in regard to that during this
kind of pandemic lockdown time, which I also sort of wanted to
be reminded, I didn't want to lose.
I don't was a painful and sad time for a lot of people but I
didn't want to lose the light flash.
Instead, so many of us learned and gained, which were about
what productivity looks like and new ways of communicating and
looking inward, instead of sort of being really busy on the
outside, I had the opportunity to see people come out of the
exhibit. And it really seems as though,
right now, the installation holds people, and gives people a
sense of timelessness and the space sort of says, As it's okay
to slow down. It's okay to feel overwhelmed,
all of, that's okay. And many people have come out of
the installation teary-eyed. Because, I think, again, that
we're so focused on what's next. And as you mentioned, it's such
a busy time of year with a lot of high expectations and just
saying it's okay, right? And it's good to take cues from
nature because nature knows exactly the cycle knows how to
Regenerate and how to take care of itself.
No matter what, why don't we describe the installation for
the people who can't see it? Or, you know, just to sort of
paint an idea of what the experience it?
Do you want to start? Sure.
So what's really fun is that you're going, we mentioned
Narnia during our process several times because we're
going from a place that's Industrial Source, Industrial in
an old milk. Building, there's a hallway with
a door that looks like a normal door and you open the door and
immediately there's sound. There's different lighting.
And the space is almost completely white, but not not a
harsh, white, a very warm white. I would say that you're drawn
into a clearing of birch, trees and snow and light and warmth.
The idea is that sort of the world has grown up around This
Fantastical place. There's a lot of texture.
I think that's what I love most about the space.
Is that where we have a lot of natural elements?
We have trees, we have branches. We have grasses, we have snow
and I think it's interesting when you put these natural
elements in a gallery space that you're also asking people to
examine them in a different way. And to see them from a different
angle is because what is a gallery for its for Viewing and
really seeing art and then within all of these natural
elements is a rack and a chair. And these these things that are
almost fairytale-like in quality and then buried in the snow is a
old clock that may or may not work.
We don't know there's ticking and there's wind up sounds
within the soundtrack but that really came from this idea.
And I think you brought it in that we're looking at the past
We're examining how we got to the space which which we hope
that people. Maybe question.
How did these things and up here, who put this rock here in
this chair? But then also thinking about how
we our ancestors to the Future and what is the role and
responsibilities that we have, you know, in this environment
and in these natural spaces and within our world to those, that
will come after us. And so that Is reflected in the
space but also in the the podcast in the audio and the
audio plays. It's a combination of music and
sound effect, but it's sort of heightened.
It's almost cinematic. And I did that on purpose
because I really wanted people to be able to suspend disbelief,
and to shed the armor that we sort of have on within our
day-to-day and to be able to come to a place where they where
they could feel all of these things and see them.
And Batman and and have this private moment without worrying
about what others thought or how they're supposed to act or to
take it in that. It's really is their time and
their space to do with it what they want.
Absolutely. And that is something that we
really encouraged and still encourage with interaction.
The space that we really dreamed up and said it'll be one or two
people at most in the space and people have been sharing winter
memories to people. In particular who are cousins
when into the space separately and they both wrote about the
same memory or someone would talk about having a really
difficult time at home and running away and climbing up in
a tree and seeing the snow fall. And so, winter means many things
to many people and that goes back to original conversation
about finding sort of this Nostalgia of the time.
Again, the title is conversation in a clearing and that's A what
we're aiming to do, I think the audio also is from the
perspective of a tree, I should mention of a birch tree that's
in the space so you can have a conversation with that tree the
audio ask questions which you can view their bully answer or
internally or Journal, you know however you want to have that
conversation with the tree. My goal is that you would leave
that space, that was created and go out into the The real world
outside of this little Narnia and that you maybe look at trees
or look at nature or other things as if they are in a
gallery. You appreciate them as if they
are high art hanging on the wall and that that it's somehow
changes the way that you walk throughout these natural spaces
in our in your everyday life. Which is what part of what we
want to do with the podcast. You know is changing that Secion
we have every day with the trees, we pass every day.
We don't think about this specific Tree in that specific
tree and that specific tree or most of us don't.
And so the idea of If you experience something like a
conversation in a clearing, then the next time you encounter a
tree, you might think to yourself.
What is this tree saying, what question would I ask this tree?
What question is this tree asking of me?
What is there to learn from the wisdom?
Adam of trees and particular. M.nature, I heard one person as
they were entering the gallery. He opened the door so as he was
stepping in, he said, oh wow, this is so much more.
This is so much more and he didn't, that was the sentence
that there is there is a whole experience on the other end of a
question. Like we we ask the question,
what would happen if we create a clearing for people to How bad
experience with the tree to have a conversation with the tree?
And there's, there's so many possibilities on the other end
of that. There's so much more, right?
Right. And that was important for us is
there's a lot of details in the physical space but I think we
have to keep reminding ourselves that really this installation
lives within the minds of the people who experience it because
it is that nostalgic memory and experience and whatever your
bringing into the space. So it's so much more than just
the trees than just the audio. It's sort of this combination
this marriage of all of these elements and then your own
personal, like we said, we don't get that many opportunities to
sort of unpack all of that and to experience it and express it.
And so, I'm so happy that we were able to find a way to
invite them to do that. Well, what a pleasure to To
speak with you. I will hold the ladder for you.
Anything, it was a lot of ladder time.
Thank you. Jonathan, what are the pleasure
creating with you anymore? I also spoke with Antoinette
Inge the gallery, curator and manager, who helped the
installation become a reality. Antoinette is an amazing artist
herself and will also speak about the terrariums.
She creates I Antoinette. Thank you for joining us.
You're welcome. I'm glad to be here.
So let's just jump right in as a theater Artist as a podcaster.
I'm Not really the first pick for a gallery, which one
normally think of as something that is a visual, sure dominant
place. So I was very grateful that you
were open to a more immersive experience.
What that is? I think that's because the space
by its small size, it becomes a massive anyway.
So I think that when you described what you wanted to do,
it seemed to fit perfectly and I think it's worked out really
well. I was really happy when you
suggested it, I am really open to just seeing what it's what
the space is capable off. And I think hopefully to inspire
other people to see what they might want to come up with for
the space as well. They do think about sort of
communication, with whoever the audience is.
So I think that, that sort of relationship is something I
think about like, how will people interact with the space?
I think that's something that's important.
Oughtn't and it all has to tell a story and feel connected and
have an experience. So speaking of which I would we
would love to hear about your experience visiting conversation
in a clearing. I was really sort of may be
affected by how calming it was and just how it really did evoke
the sense of sort of a space where you could really just sit
and be with yourself with the trees.
And, and I think that just the different elements that you
used. I think you really managed to
pull that off completely. So I really was, I guess it
really sort of made me think about being in the woods and it
made me think about when you're in the woods and how your
perception changes and how when you're in the woods you start to
think outside of yourself. So although the space in it in
some ways the space sort of continue in word because your
Sort of it's this sort of relaxing space but at the same
time it made me think about that.
Sort of it sort of letting yourself go when you're in the
woods it's like you're your ego gets suppressed because you've
you're try to just be you know at one with everything around
you and you're focusing on what is out there and not
necessarily, what's in your head?
Hopefully, if it's, you know, if it's a good experience,
sometimes you can go to the woods and you're just in your
head the whole time. But if You get out of that, then
that's when it I think it's really beneficial, you know?
And it made me think about the different elements.
You have like the magnet the way that you portrayed, the trees,
Just In This Very sort of simple form, but you got that sort of
sense of sort of space. So I do, I do lots of things
came up with me, but but I think there's sort of that idea of
what actually happens when you're in the woods, is really
something that I was thinking about, and how important that is
to me, what is sometimes so hard is too.
To let go of what's in our brains and what's around us.
And the idea of letting it fall away, which is exactly what
trees are doing with their leaves, is just letting it fall,
very naturally. It makes me think about that
this letting it fall away. It's like you're sort of in
nature. So you're just letting nature
take, its course, right? Whereas when you're in the
modern world, there is no letting it fall away.
Everything is arranged, everything is organized.
There's a lot of structure and there is no sort of You know
that the organic is definitely sort of like a Side Story.
So when you're in the gallery space, you're letting that that
sort of structure of Modern Life, you can let that fall away
a bit. You are a busy human.
What are you working on Antoinette?
I have a show in Harvard Square in a few weeks, and so, I'm sort
of been making terrariums anyone at tell us about your terrariums
because they're really extraordinary and tell the name.
So, well, I started it was a it was doing luck town and I was
going to the woods and, you know, there's a lot of snow and
so the Moss was all hidden as it normally is.
And I thought maybe I can try to grow moss indoors and see what
that's like. So I tried it and it worked it
just I had a friend who said well you know if you make those
maybe I can sell them for you because they look great.
And so I started seeing what I could come up with and it just
sort of evolved into this whole thing.
And then I named it small glories because I was thinking
about his thinking about about idea of sort of the glory of
nature in its even it's even its smallest form.
I mean I'm not not really not a religious person.
So the word Glory does have a sort of religious feel to it but
it is a sort of it's definitely a spiritual thing to to see the,
you know, the incredible beauty and variety of nature at the
smallest size. Sighs.
And so it's not the big trees that I'm looking at.
It's like what's growing on the dead nurse log.
The, the like, and the different mushrooms are different sizes
and and the mass, of course. So so for me, it is about the
smallness. Because once you get up close, I
don't know if you've seen, like, any of the macro photography,
where you go up, really close to like some slime mold or
something, they're incredible. I mean, the the variety of the
shapes it's just they're just So for me, it's that sort of the
sort of infinite beauty that there is in nature is really
where small glories comes from. And remembering that we are
nature, you know, that we shouldn't separate ourselves
from nature that we are inherently part of this whole
system and to separate ourselves office to do as self and
Injustice. For me, it really is about
helping people to connect to this other side of themselves.
How do people find work more about you?
Well, on Instagram, I'm small glories and then my website is
just smooth. Voice.com well on this podcast,
we talk a lot about stewardship and people who are stewards of
the land stewards of stories and I consider you a steward for
art. So thank you and Fernanda for
for allowing us to create this beautiful event and for all the
work you do for nature. Well, thank you so much.
Now I'm I was so happy that you did such a great job with this
space as wonderful. So yeah, you and Jonathan did
amazing, amazing work. Thanks so much.
We've received wonderful reactions to the installation
and wanted to share a few with you.
This is Jack Resort go. I'm so grateful for this
exhibit. I'm a huge, huge fan of winter
and the peace and Stillness of the quiet in the cold and the
snow. And, you know, being able to
find those warm cozy. Ee reflective moments during the
season and finding the light and the warmth and in the dark and
the cold time of year and this exhibit was such a lovely chance
to sit and meditate and feel that sense of calm peaceful
Repose while. You know, I'll sort of blending
this exterior and interior sense of space.
It was like bringing the coziness of a living room, right
into the middle of Winter Forest.
It was beautiful. Thank you.
I walked in, and I immediately thought of winters as a child in
Canada and the ground is frozen. And that perfect, perfect smell
that you experience of ice crystals in the air.
And that crunch quiet of snow. So I was just like sitting there
on the floor. Looking at a light going through
the snow on the floor and the patterns and the knitted scarf
and Reading the words other people had put down in the books
and it was just perfect after my very, very chaotic day.
Thank you. We are so grateful for much
support with the installation build from, Jamie roach and
Cassandra mayor. And for the poster and cover art
by Mill Riot. And Sean Mackenzie also special,
thank you to Antoinette inch and to our left lawn for her
hospitality and the Western Avenue artist community.
For those of you in New England, I hope you are able to come.
See it in person and if not, I hope you have the opportunity to
experience wintering in your own way.
To visit the installation, please check our website tree
speech.com and show notes for Gallery hours and address the
Western Avenue Studios and Lofts have an event every month.
When the studios and galleries are open to the public the dates
and times for these upcoming Open Studios, when you can also
view a conversation in a clearing are from 12 noon to 5
p.m. on Saturdays, December 3rd, December 10th and three seventh.
You can also visit by appointment by writing to us at
tree speech podcast at gmail.com.
Please consider supporting us through our patreon.
Every contribution supports our production and work and will be
giving gifts of gratitude to patrons of all levels.
Including the audio track, from our installation, a conversation
in a clearing. Please also consider passing the
word to tree-loving, folks, and rate, and review us on Apple
podcasts every kind word. Helps new episodes drop every
other week on Fridays are very next.
One is December 9th. And will feature Feature
singer-songwriter neshama carlebach and a discussion on
family trees. I hope you join us then, and
thank you for joining tree speech today.